9. Read the text and choose the correct answer.

Everyone in America can participate in sports activities. Opportunities for keeping fit and playing sports are numerous. Jogging is extremely popular because it is the cheapest and most accessible sport. Aerobic exercise and training with weight-lifting machines are two activities which more and more men and women are practising.

Some large corporations, hospitals and churches have indoor gymnasiums and organize informal team sports. High schools and colleges have commonly a school team for each of these sports: football, basketball, baseball, tennis, wrestling, gymnastics, swimming, hockey, volleyball, fencing and golf. High schools and colleges recognize outstanding athletic achievements with trophies, awards and scholarships.

1) A lot of Americans go in for sports because

a) there are many professional sportsmen in the USA.

b) there are many recreational parks with sports grounds and tracks in the USA.

2) The Americans prefer jogging as

a) they don’t need any special equipment to practise it.

b) they don’t need an associate to practise it.

3) Some large corporations provide the staff with

a) sports facilities.

b) sports teams.

4) High schools and colleges present outstanding athletes with

a) university degree.

b) stipend.

Unit 6 the olympic games

1. Practise the pronunciation of the following words from the text.

Honour, emphasize, strength, javelin, ancient, renewal, otherwise, framework, participant, maintain, anthem, interlaced, Zeus, century.

2. Guess the meaning of the following international words. Consult a dictionary if necessary.

Physical (a), discus (n), boxing (n), individual (a), ceremony (n), oratory (n), poetry (n), calculate (v), Olympic (a), idea (n), cycle (n), international (a), committee (n), original (a), theme (n), triumph (n), hymn (n).

Read and translate the text consulting the vocabulary in case of difficulty.

Ancient – древний;

To honour – чествовать;

To emphasize – обращать особое внимание;

Halted – остановлен;

Youth – молодежь;

Javelin throwing – метание копья;

Chariot – колесница;

Renewal – возрождение;

Otherwise – иначе;

To elaborate – разрабатывать;

Amateurism – любительство;

To be allocated – быть назначенным;

To maintain – поддерживать;

Interlaced – переплетенный;

In 776 B.C. the first Olympics were held at the foot of Mount Olympus to honour the Greek chief God, Zeus. The Greeks emphasized physical fitness and strength in their education of youth. The contests in running, jumping, discus and javelin throwing, boxing and horse and chariot racing were held in individual cities, and the winners competed every four years at Mount Olympus. The ceremonies also included contests in oratory, poetry, music and art. Winners were greatly honoured. Originally the games were held as games of friendship, and any wars in progress were halted to allow the games take place. The Greeks attached so much importance to these games that they calculated time in four-year cycles called Olympiads.

In 394 A.D. the Games were abolished and were not renewed until many centuries later.

The renewal of the Games came in 1896, due to the French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin. The first Olympiad was held in Athens and followed the pattern set by the ancient Olympic Games. Otherwise, the framework elaborated for the first Games, has stood the test of time. The modern Games have maintained the original idea of amateurism.

In 1894 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was set up. It is the central policy-making body of the Olympic movement, formed by the representatives of participant countries. The IOC makes decisions as to the programme of the Games, the number of participants and where the Games of the next Olympiad are to be held. The games are allocated to a city, not to a country. Over 200 countries are represented in the IOC at present.

The Olympic Games have always included a number of ceremonies, many of which emphasize the themes of international friendship and peaceful cooperation. At the opening ceremony the national anthem of the host country is played, and all the participants march past the Lodge of Honour. The Head of the host country declares the Games open, then the Olympic flag is raised and the Olympic hymn is sung. After that the Olympic flame is lit and will burn till the end of the Games. The Olympic torch has been carried from Olympia by torch bearers, one for each kilometre.

The Olympic flag has five coloured interlaced rings, representing the five parts of the world, on a white background. The motto of the Olympic Games is “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (Faster, Higher, Stronger).

Russia joined the Olympic movement in 1952. Since then, Soviet sportsmen and sportswomen have collected a great lot of gold, silver and bronze medals. In 1980 Moscow hosted the 22^nd Summer Olympic Games and in 2014 Sochi will host the 22^nd Winter Olympic Games.

The importance of the Olympic Games was well expressed by Coubertin: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle”.

3. Give the Russian equivalents of the following English words and word combinations.

To be held, to take place, physical fitness, discus and javelin throwing, horse and chariot races, to abolish, to attach much importance, to be renewed, to follow the pattern, to stand the test of time, policy-making body, to be represented, host country, torch bearer.

4. Give the English equivalents of the following Russian words and word combinations.

Четырехлетний цикл; у подножия горы Олимп; победители; гонки на колесницах; запрещать; чествовать; выстоять испытание временем; возобновление; разработанная схема (сценарий); представитель; орган управления; страны-участники; Международный Олимпийский Комитет; основывать; церемония открытия; факел; национальный гимн; страна, принимающая Олимпийские Игры; глава государства; переплетенные кольца; представлять; принимать участие.

5. Match the words in column A to those close in meanings in column B.

A B

1) to hold a) main

2) contest b) to symbolize

3) importance c) to take in

4) to halt d) competition

5) to include e) to conduct

6) chief f) primary

7) pattern g) to stop

8) to represent h) to bear

9) to carry i) value

10)original j) model

6. Complete the sentences with the appropriate English words.

1. (Древние) Games at the foot of Mount Olympus.

2. The athletes (соревновались) in running, boxing, and athletic skills.

3. (Победители) were given wreaths of olive trees.

4. In the first modern Games 311 (спортсменов) from 13 countries (принимали участие).

5. In 1896 (Международный Олимпийский Комитет) was set up.

6. Winter Olympics include (соревнования) in ice hockey, skating, figure skating and skiing.

7. The Olympic Games include the number of (церемоний).

8. The Olympic Flag, with its five (переплетенных) rings, was flown for the first time at the 1920 games in Antwerp, Belgium.

9. Then the head of the host country (объявляет) the games open.

10)The (факел) is lit in Olympia, Greece, and is carried from there to the host city by a series of runners.

7. Agree or disagree with the following statements. Support your judgment.

1. The first Olympics were held at the foot of Mount Olympus in 394 A.D.

2. The winners of individual cities competed every four years.

3. Originally the Games were held as games of friendship and if there were any wars the Games did not take place.

4. The Games were renewed in 1896 due to the French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

5. The framework elaborated for the first Games has stood the test of time.

6. The IOC makes the decision only to the programme of the Games.

7. The Games are allocated to a city.

8. The Olympic flame is lit during the opening ceremony.

9. The Olympic flag has five coloured interlaced rings on a white background.

10)Russia joined the Olympic movement in 1980.

8. Answer the following questions.

1. Where were the Ancient Olympic Games held?

2. In what sports did the ancient athletes compete?

3. When were the Games stopped?

4. Whose initiative was to renew the Olympic Games?

5. What is the main idea of the Olympic Games?

6. What are the functions of the IOC?

7. How is the Olympic torch brought to the host city?

8. What do the rings on the Olympic flag symbolize?

9. What is the motto of the Olympic Games?

10)Has Russia ever hosted any Olympic Games? When?

9. Practise translating from Russian into English in writing.

Древние Олимпийские Игры проводились в Греции в честь бога Зевса. Эти Игры являлись символом дружбы, на время их проведения прекращались все войны. В 394 году н.э. Игры были запрещены, но в 19м веке француз Пьер де Кубертен решил возродить Олимпийские Игры в современном мире.

В 1896 году был образован МОК, который определяет программу Игр, место их проведения и количество участников. На 91й сессии МОК было решено проводить Зимние и Летние Олимпийские Игры в разное время через два года.

Олимпийские Игры имеют много традиций. Так, Олимпийский флаг представляет пять переплетенных колец, которые символизируют народы пяти континентов Земли, на белом фоне.

Главная идея Олимпийских Игр – не победа, а участие.

10. Give a talk on the topic “The Olympic Games”.